ALLEN PARK, Mich. — Calvin Johnson set the all-time single-season receiving yards record last season while playing with broken fingers.

The Detroit Lions wide receiver confirmed the injury on Monday. He said he did not have offseason surgery.

“Pretty much just getting them back straight, trying to straighten things out,’’ Johnson said while moving the fingers on his left hand.

“The thing is with a lot of football players, if you have injuries, the less you know about it, you think it’s just something that’s hurting so you keep on playing,’’ said Johnson whose fingers were taped much of last season.

Advertisement

Johnson played in all 16 games, and finished with 122 receptions for 1,964 yards.

He said he didn’t remember when it happened, saying the season is such a blur.

Johnson said he feels good as the Lions take the next step in the offseason with the start of OTAs (organized team activities) on Tuesday.

“The big thing we want to accomplish, for me it’s building up these receivers. myself and Nate (Burleson) we know what we can do on Sunday,’’ Johnson said. “One (goal) is get in shape and at the same time bringing these young fellows up so they can be ready on Sunday.’’

The Lions have plenty of wide receivers on the roster but not many of them are proven. Ryan Broyles is coming off ACL surgery again and is questionable for the start of the season. Titus Young was released and is sitting in a jail cell in California after a series of arrests.

Johnson said what they need in a No. 2 receiver is somebody to spread the field and make short, intermediate and down-the-field plays.

He’s not sure if that guy is on the roster.

“When we get on the field, I know what we have a little bit, but we have a lot of new guys,’’ Johnson said. “Guys have done some things in the offeason to better themselves, so I’m looking forward to see how we look when we get on the field tomorrow.’’

Johnson will be making an adjustment too. For his whole Lions’ career Shaun Jefferson was his position coach. Now Jefferson is gone and Tim Lappano has moved from coaching tight ends to be the wide receivers coach.

“Tim has done a great job so far,’’ Johnson said. “I don’t know if Tim has talked to Shaun, but Tim has come out with some good drills for us as far as focusing our eyes on the ball and getting our footwork right. Tim’s on top of it.’’

It will just take time for the two to gel like Johnson did with Jefferson.

“We’ve been together so long he could read me, he could tell what’s going on if I’m in my zone or whatever,’’ Johnson said. “That’s something Tim is going to learn after he spends some time with us.’’